She’s a beautiful lady, inside and out, and we’re so glad she shares her recipes with us in our little cooking community. Let’s meet Shelisa, known to us here at Tasty Kitchen as big2beautiful!

Shelisa comes from a huge family. Her grandmother had 9 children, and she is the 6th of 27 grandchildren. “Of course I was her favorite,” she adds. From the tender age of 6, Shelisa spent her time in her grandmother’s kitchen, snapping peas, picking greens, hulling nuts, learning to roll and cut buttermilk biscuits. With a family full of great cooks (although some, she admits, were more suited for supplying paper goods for family gatherings), it’s easy to see where Shelisa gets her natural instincts in the kitchen.

Shelisa grew up eating and cooking traditional Soul food, and up until her mid-20s, just about the only international dish in her repertoire was spaghetti and meat sauce from a jar. “But give me oxtails, peas and okra, mustard greens, dressing (not stuffing), and I could cook it in my sleep.”

(I’m not even sure I can cook that wide awake.)

Old school or new, soul food rocks. Just take a look at her recipe box.

Clockwise from top left: Sweet and Savory Ribs, Sweet Potato Delight, Green Bean Salad, Southern Fried Chicken, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Creamed Spinach.

 
 
 
Shelisa lives in the Tampa bay area with her husband Curtis and three children. Their kids will eat anything, thanks in part to their frequent grocery store “treasure hunt” trips. Even at a very young age, Shelisa would take them exploring around the produce section where they would grab the most unusual fruits and vegetables. “We would go home and learn all about them, where they came from, how long they took to grow, and most importantly, how they taste and how to cook with them.”

Shelisa, too, expanded her food world. Her move away from Tallahassee led to her love affair with authentic Italian food, which she explored with the same passion. Now she says that Italian food is actually her favorite, although we need to keep that a secret from her family. Especially her mom.

It looks like somewhere along the way, she got quite adept at so many other international cuisines as well.

Clockwise from top left: Taiwanese Pork and Noodles (Lo Ba), Japanese Cucumber Salad, Teriyaki Glazed Wings, Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, and Sausage and Peppers.

 
 
 
Shelisa is also a seafood junkie. She loves crab and shrimp. Her go-to dish is Garlic Shrimp Pasta, which has all her favorite ingredients: butter, shrimp, and pasta. Freshly fried fish with hot sauce and mustard on sliced bread is one of her Friday favorites, and from the looks of the grouper sandwich below, it could easily be one of my favorites too.

Clockwise from top left: Grouper Sandwich, Shrimp and Grits, Smoked Salmon Pizza, and Paella.

 
 
 
Shelisa sums it up nicely when she says, “Food is the center of family joy, and even sometimes pain in my family. We celebrate everything from births to farewells with meat and vegetables.”

I know many of us share that sentiment.

Now let’s sit down with Shelisa and get to know this beautiful woman even better. (I always enjoy this part!)

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: The most enjoyable aspect of cooking to me is eating! I love all kinds of food and I am very open to trying anything once. I love taking the ingredients from a recipe handed down by grandmother then finding a recipe from a culture using the same ingredients but with different spices to create something new for my family to enjoy.

My kitchen is the hub of my home like most families. I have learned more about my teenage kids over a big bowl of spaghetti than I would if we sat down to discuss their day in a more formal setting. I’ve always told my husband, I show my emotions in my food. I show love with a pot of collard greens, I may express excitement with Key Lime pie. And if I am pissed, I show him the big drawer next to the refrigerator where we keep the take out pizza menus.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: My grandmother by far is the person that inspired me the most. She had 9 kid and got by on 44 dollars a week and loved and nurtured her family. There was never, ever a time that I can remember growing up and not having food to eat (good food at that). She made meals out of nothing. She feed an army of hungry people with little or nothing.

 
Q: Quick: if you had to eat something rig now and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: An oven-broiled Peanut Butter and Apple Jelly sandwich. OMG, it’s the best. A thick layer of peanut butter, of course. Slather the peanut butter on one slice of the bread and just a thin layer of jelly on the other slice then place it under a broiler or toaster oven for a couple of minutes. The peanut butter gets all hot and toasty and the jelly melts right into the bread, and when you place them together, I swear I hear a song every time.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Rice! I know it might sound strange but for some reason I couldn’t cook a good pot of rice. Either it would be too sticky and gummy or the outside would be cooked and the inside crunchy. Or the rice would burn on the bottom but still have water bubbling on the top. Now I own a rice cooker. Problem solved.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: My garlic peeler and my ceramic chef knife are by far the best things ever created. I use them every single day. My garlic peeler has become the center of some dinners at my home. My friends might walk into the kitchen and ask if there’s anything I need help with and I will hand them some garlic and the peeler, and it keeps them busy. And the result of their efforts is I have garlic already peeled and ready to go for the next day. As for the knife, I took a knife skills class at a local cooking school and the chef suggested I try the ceramic knife. I fell hard for the knife; it was love at first use! I love it so much because it’s lightweight and doesn’t require sharpening but once every few years.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Marinating adds so much flavor to your meat! Even if you only have time to let you meat marinate for 15 minutes, I would say never skip this step. Also, if you ever over salt your vegetables, use sugar to balance out the saltiness. It almost like a magic wand.

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Thank you, Shelisa!

 
Shelisa’s blog, Big2Beautiful, is studded with more of her incredible recipes and mouthwatering photos. There are also lovely snippets of her family life, including her adorable children (yes, I just called teenagers adorable). There’s such a wide variety of deliciousness in there, so be prepared to get hungry!

 
It’s time for a new post featuring one of our many wonderful members here at Tasty Kitchen, and today, we’ll get to know theparsleythief. Bet you didn’t know her concentration in college was glassblowing and glass design. (Intrigued? I know I was.) We’ll learn more interesting things about her today, so say hi to Katie, everyone!

Katie lives in South Norwalk, Connecticut with her two young boys, who she lovingly refers to as her “Bozos”—not because they have red noses or huge feet but because they’re wild and goofy. She grew up in Connecticut and lived in Brooklyn, New York when she was “single, attending art school, and ordering takeout.” Of course, as you can see below, she’s come a long way from that and now her recipe box is just chock full of good stuff.

Clockwise from left: Rum Balls, Spice Sugar Cookies, and Apple Crisp.

 
 
 
Although the demands of raising a family meant that her art and her career fell to the wayside, she started blogging after being encouraged to do so by a friend who had also started one. Her blog, The Parsley Thief, gave her the creative outlet she needed. Finally, she was able to share recipes, food tips, and finally use some of her creative talents. Believe me, this lady is definitely creative in more ways than one.

Clockwise from top left: Carrot Ginger Dressing, Dill Pickles, Grilled Baba Ghanoush, Mini Crab Cakes, and Fattoush.

 
 
 
Not surprisingly, Katie loves all kinds of fresh herbs, as the name of her blog suggests. “I love how a little sprinkle of green can transform something simple into something gourmet,” she explains. She’s right, too. I love how the fresh green herbs make some of the dishes below look extra vibrant.

Clockwise from top left: Chicken al Mattone, Beef Bourguignon, Tarragon Chicken Salad with Pecans and Cranberries, Sticky Balsamic Ribs, Chicken and Dumplings, and Guinness Beef Stew.

 
 
 
Katie says that she isn’t a picky eater and that it takes a lot for her not to try something new. But she is a stickler for following a recipe to the letter the first time around—even when her instinct tells her that something just isn’t right. She always wants to know how the recipe developer intended for it to taste before making any adjustments. Her go-to meal is her Spaghetti and Meatballs, and believe me, she can do wonders with pasta.

Clockwise from top left: Roasted Almond Ricotta Pesto with Olives, Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Olives, and Minted Apricot Couscous.

 
Don’t those look incredible?

Now it’s time to ask Katie some questions and let her do the talking. So let’s learn even more about this talented lady, including her current favorite quick snack or meal that kinda made my mouth water.

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I know for some people, cooking can be a chore. So it may seem strange to some but I love the process of cooking. I love cooking from scratch. Sometimes the things that are the most time consuming and involved are the most appealing to me. Now, don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of nights when I curse the very thought of getting dinner ready, even if it’s just mac n’ cheese from a box. But when I am in the mood to cook, I love it. I also love sharing food. I love entertaining.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: My father is a good cook and I am definitely inspired by that. I remember making New England clam chowder with him as a kid. It took all day and it was really good! I was also extremely close to my grandmother growing up. She made the best Italian food. Her meatballs were the best I’ve ever had. She also made an incredible Eggplant Parmesan. My father comes very close to replicating her signature dishes. But unfortunately, no one can touch what she did.

 
Q: If you had to eat something right now and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: Lately, that would be toasted cranberry pecan bread from the SoNo Baking Co., smeared with some good blue cheese. I love bread and I love cheese. I love them together and could live on that the rest of my life. The only criteria is that it must be good bread and good cheese.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Rolling out pastry correctly gives me a lot of trouble. I find it nearly impossible to do without stretching the dough. Stretching pastry makes it shrink back in the pan while baking. So it’s not good to do.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: Goodness. How do I choose just one? If I had to, I would say I couldn’t live life without a sharp knife.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: I am still a novice in many ways. So I am always learning something new. But off the top of my head, I would say I wish I had always known that old eggs were easier to peel than fresh ones.

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Thanks for answering our questions, Katie! Now I’m going to need some of that pecan bread and blue cheese. Yum.

 
Katie’s talents extend beyond the kitchen, so head over to her blog, The Parsley Thief, and find not just great recipes but posts about her children, photography (her background is in Art and Photography), gardening, products or designs that she loves. In other words, it’s all about the things that she enjoys and so generously shares with all of us.

 
She’s a creative mom of two from Dallas, Texas who owns a design and photography business, is co-founder, designer and editor of a popular photography website, contributes holiday content for Disney, and offers printables in her online shop. She also happens to have grown up in the town where Ree lives now. In fact, she spent Fourth of July this year watching Marlboro Man and his brother blow up the county with fireworks! Let’s all say hello to Amy Locurto, and in case her hearing hasn’t been the same since that pyrotechnic display, let’s say it a little loudly!

Amy was one of our very first members here at Tasty Kitchen. She confesses that she blogs too much and carries her camera wherever she goes, to the annoyance of her family. Amy is the co-founder of I Heart Faces, a fun photography website that has grown into quite a community and resource for thousands of photography enthusiasts. Her graphic design work has given her the opportunity to create content for such big names as Reader’s Digest, Disney, and Blissfully Domestic. Her blog, Living Locurto, is where her whimsical side runs free, and she offers all kinds of cute printables and creative ideas there, including printable weekly meal plans with a grocery list.

Her dishes are not just all about cute, mind you. Look at the great meal ideas waiting to be discovered in her recipe box.

Clockwise from top left: Cheesy Chicken Muffins, Minty Fresh Summer Chicken & Rice, Mini Barbeque Beef Pies, and BBQ Chicken Soft Tacos.

 
 
 
One of her dreams is to go on a Mediterranean cruise, which is easy to understand especially after finding out that her quick meal of choice is hummus, olives, and pita bread, and her favorite food pairing of the moment is feta cheese and kalamata olives. Her go-to meal? Pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and garlic. Yes, I think a Mediterranean cruise seems like the next logical step, and I hope it means we end up getting more incredible light dishes like her Greek Chicken Pasta Salad below.

Clockwise from top left: Easy Avocado Taco Salad, Cilantro Salmon Patties, Corn and Avocado Salad, and Greek Chicken Pasta Salad.

 
 
 
Amy loves her coffee and it’s the one ingredient she needs to always have in her home. She loves to bake and her red KitchenAid mixer is her absolute favorite kitchen tool. Just look at what it helps her make!

Clockwise from top left: Dark Chocolate Cookies, Fresh Blackberry Cake, and The Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies.

 
 
 
Of course, someone as creative as Amy has got to have some really cool party ideas, and her Easy Chocolate Candy Caramel Apples are just one of the many fun party ideas you’ll see in her blog.

 
 
 
Other fun facts about Amy: she used to be a cowgirl and won ribbons in rodeos (ask her who taught her how to ride), she went to high school with Marlboro Man and still thinks he’s great, she was run over by a big station wagon with wood grain panels (twice!), and once received a prank call from Charles Barkley. She admits that she had 4-inch high bangs in the 80s and was on MTV for 30 seconds. (Maybe if we all ask nicely, she’ll show us some photos of that.)

Yes, those and even more strange things really did happen to her! One of them involves fire and a snake, and because snakes make me shudder, I’ll let her tell the story. Take it away, Amy!

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I enjoy the creativity of making something from scratch, the aromas, and the entertaining that goes along with cooking.  

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities?
A: My Great-Grandma Chunkie could make the best pies ever. She was my celebrity chef when I was a kid. Now, I LOVE Italian food and Giada De Laurentiis is a favorite of mine. Also, Curtis Stone is a total hottie. I can’t help but love his dishes.

 
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Bakerella inspires me with her amazing creations. If I met her, I’d be totally giddy. She makes me want to bake all the time. I think I’ve gained at least 10 pounds since discovering her web site last year. Thanks a lot Bakerella!

 
Q: Any strange foods or food combinations that you really enjoy?
A: I just discovered that if you eat an Easter Peep and an M&M at the same time, it’s heaven.

 
Q: Any memorable kitchen disasters you’d like to share?
A: Years ago, I hosted a wedding shower and several out-of-town guests. In preparation for my party, I preheated the oven … not knowing there was a pizza box still in it! Twenty minutes later the house was full of smoke, fire alarms were going off and fire was coming out of the oven! EEK! One of my house guests called 911 while another sprayed a fire extinguisher in my oven, all of this while I about fainted! Luckily the party was outside and my new neighbor let me use her oven because mine was full of cheap fire extinguisher ashes. Nothing else exciting happened until the guests were leaving and discovered a snake on my front porch! That was a party to remember for sure.

 
Q: Is there an ingredient or kitchen technique that gives you grief? Aside from pizza boxes hiding in the oven?
A: Pie crust! I am the worst dough roller, pie crust shaper ever. Grandma Chunkie would be so disappointed if she was still alive.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Get a fancy mixer and your cakes and cookies look and taste WAY better.

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Thanks, Amy! You had my full attention there. Except maybe for the few minutes when I almost bolted out of the room after you mentioned that snake on the porch.

 
Amy has such lovely dishes in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Head to her blog, Living Locurto, for an even fuller view of just how creative this lady is, and if you love photography, you’d do well to check out the wonderful community she’s helped build at I Heart Faces.

 
We’ve got another lovely southern lady to introduce to you and although she hasn’t lived in the South her whole life, she’s a country girl through and through. Let’s all give a warm welcome to Tina, known to us here as Mommy’s Kitchen!

Tina, who has this wonderful blog called Mommy’s Kitchen, lives in Texas with her husband and three children, “I’m a stay-at-home home,” she says, “but consider myself a Domestic Engineer only because it sounds so much more professional.” Although she’s lived in Texas for 20 years, she grew up in different places around the world. Thanks to the Air Force, she was born in France, then moved to California, then lived in Hawaii for quite some time, where she developed a love for Filipino, Korean, and Asian cuisine in general.

Her heritage is quite international, too. Her mother is German and her father was born and raised in Alabama. “My mother learned to prepare all my favorite southern classics from my grandmother,” she explains. Growing up, she was exposed to quite a variety of foods, but she considers herself a country girl with a love for all things southern, especially when it comes to food. “My favorite is southern comfort food and old fashioned classics, dishes that hold a special place in my heart,” she says. “I enjoy canning my own jams, jellies, pickles and fruits. I also still hang my clothes out to dry on the clothes line from time to time. There is just something about the old-fashioned ways that I love so much.”

We’re glad about that too, Tina, because you’ve got some really great southern classics in your recipe box and your blog.

Clockwise from top left: Southern Cream Peas, Southern Style Sun Tea, Southern Pimento Cheese, Skillet Buttermilk Biscuits, Southern Apple Pie, and Southern Hummingbird Cake.

 
 
 
Tina learned to cook from her mother, saying that, “I grew up always under my mother’s feet and I loved being in the kitchen just watching her cook.” She proudly declares that her mom could cook anything. It gives her great pleasure now to have three children who have that same love of cooking as she did when she was a child. “I try my best to get them involved in the kitchen as much as possible,” she says. Her children help in the garden and cook and bake with her in the kitchen. In their family, it’s a big deal to eat together at the table family style, and she enjoys showing her children how food and family can really come together.

Something tells me that with great food like the dishes below, you won’t have to call out “Dinner’s ready!” more than once.

Clockwise from top left: Easy Peasy Chicken Legs, Pig Candy a.k.a. Brown Sugar Bacon, Hoe Down BBQ Chuck Roast, Weekend Company Breakfast Casserole, Homemade Corn Dogs, and Spaghetti Carbonara.

 
 
 
Tina mentioned at the start that baking was also one of her passions, and in fact, when asked what ingredient shortage makes her panic, she unhesitatingly answered, “Butter!” Tina loves cooking and baking with butter, and admits that she tends to freak out a bit if she finds herself running low or without a stick. “To me,” she confesses, “butter is like a bar of gold.”

I’ll send you a few bars of gold if you’ll send me back a couple of these, Tina. Deal?

Clockwise from top left: Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cheesecake, Fudge Puddles a.k.a. Puddles of Yum, Homemade Oreos, Dulce De Leche Ice Cream with Toasted Pecans, Healthy Peanut Butter Balls, and Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.

 
 
 
Now of course, since we’re on a southern roll here, you know I’m going to show you some pie. But not without sharing one of Tina’s memorable kitchen disasters first. You see, about 23 years ago, Tina decided to make apple pie from scratch for some friends she was having over. “I thought I was going so well,” she says, “but I guess you learn that you can’t make and bake a pie from scratch in 30 minutes.” So when they sat down at the table and cut into the pie, to her horror, the bottom crust wasn’t cooked. It wasn’t even just half-cooked—it was still raw. When the first slice was lifted, the crust just stretched. And stretched.

Now Tina can make a mean homemade apple pie. Or peanut butter pie. Coconut cream. Strawberry. You name it, I’m pretty sure she can make it. But she does admit that she’s still a little hesitant and worried when she cuts into that first piece. She still gets flashbacks of her first apple pie.

Clockwise from top left: Summertime Strawberry Pie, Diner Style Peanut Butter Custard Pie, Apple Pie Filling in a Jar, and Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie, Oh My!.

 
 
 
Wasn’t that a nice story? I know you’d like to hear more, so let’s bring Tina in to answer some questions. In the meantime, I’ll go off to a corner and find myself a slice of pie.

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: First and foremost, I love cooking! Most people view cooking as a chore, but not me. Cooking and baking are my passion so it doesn’t seem like work at all. I also love teaching other people how to cook. I was lucky enough to have a mother show me how to cook, so I want to do the same for others who were not as fortunate as I was. I never realized the impact my site had on other people. Well, that is until I received an email one day. It was a random email, sort of out of the blue. I get all teary-eyed still to this day every time I tell the story. It was from a young lady that made one of my recipes—a simple recipe but not simple to her. You see, this particular young lady has a learning disability and she is unable to read.



She says she can read bits and pieces but not much. She was sending me an email to thank me for including step-by-step photos with my recipes. She told me that she cooked a dish from scratch for her husband for the first time since they have been married. She kept thanking me and told me without the photos she could not have done it. She said by looking at all the ingredients in the picture and then following along with the step-by-step photos she was able to understand how to make that particular dish. She was so excited and her excitement got me excited and then I cried. It was at that moment that I knew what I was doing was all worth it. Just the satisfaction of knowing I had helped just one person cook for the very first time. Goodness, I still get goose bumps every time I think of her. This is why I blog, she is why I blog.   

 
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Well, I would have to say my elders. What I mean by that is that I just love sitting and listening to older folks speak of cooking for their families long ago. The stories of how they hardly had any food or ingredients but yet they could turn out a full course meal on the table. Biscuits with homemade pan gravy, cream peas with bacon, a fruit pie and a cheap cut of meat that was transformed into something that would melt in your mouth. Those are the folks that inspire me. Just take a little of this and a little of that and you can make just about anything. From them I have learned that you don’t need a bunch of fancy schmancy ingredients to make a meal that will impress.

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: Pot Roast Chicken! There is nothing better than a good old oven-roasted chicken. Pair it with carrots, potatoes and homemade pan gravy. Goodness, it just screams comfort food. Add some homemade yeast rolls and it’s pure heaven.

 
Q: Any strange foods or food combinations that you really enjoy?
A: Rice or pasta with scrambled eggs. Sometimes I toss in some soy sauce. I know it sounds weird and maybe even gross but let me explain. When I was pregnant with my firstborn child I had horrible morning sickness. Really, it was all-day sickness. The only thing I could keep down was cream of wheat, plain pasta, plain rice and scrambled eggs. You eventually learn to mix things up a bit. Surprisingly it stayed down. So that was my diet for 9 months. I still eat it today when no one’s around. When my oldest son who is 16 sees it he says, “Mom, that is so gross.” I always tell him it’s his fault I love it so much.

 
Q: What ingredient or kitchen technique gives you the most trouble?
A: Candy making. I either don’t boil the mixture long enough or I boil it too long. I can never get it quite right.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: Well, I am not sure if you would consider this a kitchen tool or not, but my cast iron skillet. You know, the ones that your grandma used to cook with. I can cook just about anything in my iron skillet. Apple crisp, cobbler, buttermilk biscuits, pizza, a chicken dinner and even a skillet cookie. I don’t know what I would do without it. So I guess you could say I have a serious love affair with my iron skillet.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Patience and love! Just have a little patience and you can make just about anything. Remember if it doesn’t turn out, well then just pick yourself up and try again. Secondly, always remember to cook from your heart. If you love what you’re doing and who your cooking for, it will always show through in whatever dish you make. It’s not about what you cook, but how you cook it.

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Amen to that, Tina!

 
Tina’s recipe box here is just chock-full of down-to-earth goodness. Go check it out! For even more of her recipes, head to her blog, Mommy’s Kitchen. She says it’s where family meals and memories are made, and you know, she’s right. Mommies have a way of always being right.

 
Our featured member this week has a lot of skills under her belt. From cooking to sewing to beautiful crafts, there isn’t much that she can’t do. Let’s all say hello to the lovely Calli of callimakesdo!

Calli is a stay-at-home mom who loves spending time with her family, whether it be on the slopes or around a campfire. She has three children with ages ranging from 8 to 9. “No, that wasn’t a typo,” she explains. “I had three kids in 18 months, something I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who likes their sanity.” She loves the smell of baking bread, her garden, her camera, hiking shoes, and her sewing machine. She gets a kick out of being resourceful, and her blog Make It Do showcases her resourcefulness and hardworking nature.

Of course, we know her here from the wonderful recipes in her recipe box. Calli enjoys being creative when it comes to cooking, trying out new recipes and experimenting. “Cooking is also very aesthetic for me,” she adds. “I love the smells, colors, textures, and tastes of cooking.” She loves sitting down every night for dinner with her family, talking and enjoying each other, and she says good food makes it all better. Especially when even the bit player side dishes look good enough to be the main course.

Clockwise from top left: Buddy Loves Baked Beans, Easy Peasy Bread Sticks, and D’s Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup.

 
 
 
When asked about her go-to meal, Calli’s answer is simple: salad. She rarely serves a meal without a salad, either as a side or as the main course. She loves main dish salads with grilled chicken, fish, or steak, and Calli tries to make her salads according to the season. “My kids don’t eat everything I serve,” she says, “but I serve it nonetheless.” As a result, her children have become quite daring eaters. Calli also offers that one way to get kids to eat salad is by always having buttermilk ranch dressing on hand.

Clockwise from top left: Chicken Milanese, Cabbage Rolls, Chicken Salad Sandwiches , Chicken Enchiladas, and Eggplant Parmesan.

 
 
 
Calli loves food with lots of flavor, preferably on the spicy side. She also loves anything sour and uses a lot of onion and garlic in her cooking. Her palate is ecclectic and runs the gamut, from Tortellini Soup to Chicken Tikka Masala to a Greek salad with chicken and Carnitas Dulce. We even see that kind of variety in her breakfast recipes, from Busy Day Bran Muffins to a delightful Mexican-style Green Chile Egg Casserole and a lovely Harvest Vegetable Quiche.

 
 
 
Her snack of choice is popcorn with butter and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. “I love popcorn,” she admits. “I try really hard to limit myself to eating it once a week.” She confesses that she has most trouble in the kitchen when it comes to cookies. “I like to blame it on the altitude,” she explains. “If I don’t adjust my recipe, I often end up with pancake cookies.” Calli, from the looks of all your wonderful dessert recipes, I think you have that adjusting part down pat.

Clockwise from top left: Famous Mint Brownies, Orange Poppy Seed Bread, Lovely Little Chocolate Bundtlettes, Eva’s Apple Pie, and Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

 
I’ll take one of each, please. And if you want to make it a double, I won’t complain.

I know you want to learn more about Calli, so let’s get right into the interview!

 
 
Q: Tell us more about yourself.
A: I once worked a summer in a fish cannery in Alaska … and I still love to eat fish. I am and love being a Cub Scout leader; 8-year-old boys are a kick to be around. One of my favorite movies is “Waking Ned Devine.” I hate coconut. Apparently, I hum in my sleep. And I always see the glass as half full.  

 
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My mom and dad. They are both wonderful cooks. And their home seems to always be full of hungry people. They have at least 25 people to Sunday dinner on a regular basis. They are never daunted cooking for a crowd and everything they make tastes amazing. I’ve learned from my mom how to find a few favorite recipes and work with them until they’re perfected.

 
Q: Any strange food preferences?
A: I usually eat pancakes without syrup. I scrape the frosting off of my cake if it’s too sweet and I never eat the center from an Oreo cookie … unless it’s mint. I also love mustard pickles. It’s a canned concoction of pickling cukes, pearl onions, red pepper and cauliflower in a mustard sauce. I love it on roast or ham. It’s an old-fashioned canning tradition and most people have never heard of it.

 
Q: Do you have a memorable kitchen disaster to share with us?
A: My husband’s grandmother was an amazing pie maker. Before she died, my husband went to her house to help her make her Thanksgiving pies. Luckily he wrote everything down, because her family-favorite apple pie didn’t have a recipe other than what was in her head. After she passed away, I took on the challenge of making pies for Thanksgiving. But the dinner wouldn’t be the same without her apple pie. The day before Thanksgiving, I made her recipe carefully, following my husband’s handwritten instructions to the letter. I baked off the pie scraps with cinnamon and sugar and to my delight the crust was flaky and delicious. Since, I wanted it to be fresh for Thanksgiving, I decided to bake the already filled pie the following morning. I covered the unbaked pie with plastic wrap and tossed it in the refrigerator. The next day I baked the pie as planned. It came out of the oven looking beautiful and smelling even better. But when it came time to serve it, I was in for a shock. The whole bottom crust was straight mush, absolutely horrible. My failure was made so much worse because it was Eva’s Apple Pie. I learned the hard way that an unbaked pie crust needs to be baked immediately after the filling goes in. You live and learn, don’t you? And I can laugh about it … now.

 
Q: Complete the sentence: “I panic when I realize that I’m out of …”
A: Olive oil. But maybe that’s because I recently did run out and I didn’t know how to make dinner without it.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: That is a hard one. I love my Universal Bosch for breadmaking, my santoku knife, and I love my 8-cup Pyrex measuring bowl. But if I have to pick my very favorite, it would have to be my Le Creuset cookware. They are the hardest working pans in my kitchen and I especially love my Dutch oven.

 
Q: What food item do you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: For years I was intimidated by making pie crust. I had tried here and there to make crusts with mixed results. I usually bought frozen crusts from the grocery store when it really mattered. Finally I got smart and called my mom to ask for a lesson. After making them with her and really watching her techniques I’ve became a lot more confident. I also made a small investment in an inexpensive fabric pastry frame, which I love. I love making pie and a homemade crust is so much better than a frozen store-bought crust. There are just some things in the kitchen that take practice.

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Thanks, Calli!

 
Check out more of Calli’s recipes in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box. For even more recipes and fun stuff like crafts, sewing projects and tutorials, cleaning tips and so much more, visit her blog Make It Do, where she shows us the many ways to “Make it. Do it.”

 
Having this lovely lady at Tasty Kitchen gives us real street cred and it means we get some pretty amazing recipes like the one you see above. She’s multi-talented, a world traveler, and we’re happy to introduce her to you today. Say hello to fujimama!

Rachael is fairly new to food blogging, though it certainly doesn’t show. She started her blog La Fuji Mama while in Tokyo, after her first “Fujiling” was born. It wasn’t a food blog until they moved back to the U.S. about a year and a half ago. She has a BA in French, studied in France, and graduated from law school here in the U.S. She loves to travel and has lived in many places around the world, including Southern California, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Paris, and of course, Japan.

Her girls are known on her blog as Squirrel and Bug, and don’t worry, those aren’t meant to be food references, although she confesses that she’ll eat anything and has eaten some pretty “different” stuff. Her children’s blog names are a result of having grown up with a dad who loved the outdoors and animals. “As a result,” she says, “we always had a menagerie at home that always included a healthy assortment of reptiles.” This included a 6-foot gopher snake that once escaped from his terrarium and found its way onto her bed and in her hand as she pulled up the blanket in the dark. “I’m proud to say I did not scream.” But she adds, “In contrast, if I see the teeniest little spider, I will scream.”

The list of “different” foods she’s tried is quite impressive indeed: pig’s blood jelly in Hong Kong, sweet and sour camel meat in Beijing, and hachinoko (bee larvae) and zazamushi (stonefly larvae) in Japan, to name a few. (Yes, she said those were just a few.) She loves spicy food and declares that she has yet to eat something that is too spicy for her.

You won’t find a killer spicy dish below, and in case you were wondering, there’s no larvae either. What you will find, though, is pure deliciousness.

Clockwise from top left: Slow Cooker Kalua Pig, Grilled Chicken with Tangy Miso Honey Mustard Sauce, and Tofu Steak.

 
 
 
One thing I really enjoy about Rachael’s recipes and posts is that she de-mystifies many Japanese dishes that we might find too daunting to attempt in the kitchen. From sushi rice to egg crepes to Japanese pickles, she lets us know how simple they really are to make.

Clockwise from top left: Sweet & Sour Mushrooms, Quick & Easy Edamame Dip, Sushi Rice, Usuyaki Tamago (Japanese Egg Crepes), Carrot Sesame Salad, and Kyuri Asa-zuke (Japanese Lightly Pickled Cucumbers).

 
 
 
Rachael’s recipe box here is also stocked with wonderful soup recipes. Not only does she explain how to make great miso soup but she also has a post on how to make dashi stock, which will take your homemade miso soup to new heights. As for me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the oyster soup below ever since I first saw it.

Clockwise from top left: Hamaguri Ushio-jiru (Japanese Clear Clam Soup), Miso Soup With Butternut Squash, Poached Eggs, & Spinach, Kaki Zosui–Oyster and Rice Soup, and Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup.

 
 
 
Rachael’s repertoire isn’t confined to Japanese cuisine and she has the Spaetzle and Lentils to prove it, a recipe handed down from her German grandmother. When Rachael and her husband lived in Memphis, Tennessee, she fell in love with Southern cooking and Memphis-style barbecue. Her go-to meal is a simple roasted chicken stuffed with a quartered lemon and rosemary, served with steamed vegetables and homemade bread.

 
When it comes to sweets, she’s a chocoholic all the way. “I know something has gone horribly wrong if I have actually run out of chocolate.” When pressed for time, she’ll snack on slices of banana spread with Nutella. Lots of Nutella. (She made sure she specified that.)

Clockwise from top left: Churro Wontons with Salted Butter Caramel Dipping Sauce, Orange Blossom Sables, Coconut Honey Rice Pudding, Gold Kiwi Cream, and Hug & Kiss Cookies.

(Sometimes, late at night, I still dream of those churros.)

There’s so much more to learn about Rachael and I’ll let her do the talking this time. Floor’s all yours, fujimama!

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: The whole process. I love doing anything that involves creating something using my hands, like knitting or playing the piano, so cooking fits right in. There’s something about chopping, stirring, kneading, and watching as a dish comes together that brings me joy. I find the cooking process to be invigorating and therapeutic all at the same time.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: The three people who have had the biggest culinary influence on me are my mother, my paternal grandmother, and my dad. My mom and grandmother are both amazing cooks and constant sources of inspiration. If I need a good recipe, I can always rely on one of them to supply me with one. My dad has always challenged my palate by encouraging me to try new things and is always good at thinking outside of the box. As far as other favorites, I love Julia Child because of her determination and spunk. I also love Elizabeth Andoh, who has been a huge source of inspiration over the past year as I have worked through her book, Washoku, and have had the privilege to get some feedback from her.

 
Q: Do you have a memorable kitchen disaster to share with us?
A: My first solo foray in the kitchen was in elementary school. My mom was out of town and I wanted to cook up something special to serve upon her return. I flipped through her red and white checked Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and found a recipe for petit fours that I decided to make. I made the cake without any problems, sliced it into little squares, and then looked at the recipe for the glaze that was supposed to cover each square of cake. The recipe called for both granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar and I was stumped. I had no idea what confectioners’ sugar was. I was young enough that I had only ever heard of powdered sugar and had no idea that there was another name for it. So, I decided to just use granulated sugar twice. To make matters worse, I decided to make the icing a horrible Pepto-Bismol pink. The result was a horrible slushy grainy icky pink goo that I then slopped onto my squares of cake. Of course the “icing” did not set, it just oozed down the sides of the cake and soaked into the cake making it mushy and unappetizing. I knew that I had a problem but had worked so hard that I proudly served my creation to my mother when she got home. She praised me on my work and proceeded to eat several pieces. To this day I have no idea how she was able to do so with a straight face.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: My wooden spoon. I don’t know what I would do without it. I use it for everything important like making bread and toffee.

 
Q: What food item do you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: Miso soup, including the dashi (sea stock)—no instant granules for me! Making dashi is so much easier than people think. It’s way easier than making any other kind of stock, whether it be chicken or vegetable stock. It only takes 15 minutes and 3 different ingredients!

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Use a thermometer when baking bread to see if it is ready to come out of the oven. Bread is ready to come out of the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Thank you to Michael Ruhlman for teaching me that one. I always love seeing the needle on my thermometer hit 200 and knowing I can pull it out and not worry about cutting into it and having it be a doughy mess.

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Thanks for answering our questions, Rachael! I knew my thermometer had to have another use other than testing my home water heater.

 
Rachael has a Tasty Kitchen recipe box that’s full of wonderful recipes and, as you’ve seen, they’re not all necessarily Japanese dishes. There’s more in store for you in her blog, La Fuji Mama, where you can find more delectable food and also see pictures of her adorable girls, Squirrel and Bug.

 
She’s the Canadian behind all those wonderful dishes with flavor combinations that always hit the mark, and her food writing is both engaging and informative. I know many have been wanting to learn more about her, and today’s the day we get to do just that. Say hello to our lovely cookincanuck—Dara Michalski.

Dara was born in eastern Canada and avers that she’s a Canadian at heart. A Utah resident for the past 10 years (happily, she adds), she’s the mother of two young boys and wife to a husband who stands by her through thick and thin and even through uncooked meat (more on that later). In her blog Cookin’ Canuck, she writes that they’re both consultants for families looking to set up intensive behavioral programs for their children with autism. “We are dedicated to making these amazing children reach their full potential.”

Talented and compassionate. It’s a winning combination.

Dara attributes her love for cooking to her parents. Her mother is “a fabulous, instinctual cook” who grew up in Jamaica, and her parents spent the first years of their marriage in Malaysia. Her mom often used (and still does) unusual spices and flavors in her cooking, and it’s not surprising to see that many of Dara’s dishes show off so many different international influences.

Clockwise from top left: Soba Noodles and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin and Chili Sauce, Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate-Spice Marinade, Mum’s Savory Beef and Potato Curry, Sage and Gorgonzola Gougeres (Cheese Puffs), Baked German Apple Pancake with Nutmeg and Ginger, Tortilla Stacks with Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese, African Tomato and Peanut Soup with Sweet Potato and Chickpeas, and Shrimp, Sun-Dried Tomato and Asparagus Bucatini in White Wine and Garlic Sauce.

 
 
 
Although Dara has a few favorite celebrity chefs, like Giada de Laurentiis, Curtis Stone, and Bobby Flay, she says that ingredients themselves—seasonal ingredients, to be exact—are what inspire her. She’s become more adventurous with her cooking, and has developed a good sense for what flavors work well together (according to her palate). This opens up the field for her to play around with various combinations of flavors and textures. “Some recipes completely bomb,” she admits, and “nothing puts me in a bad mood faster.” But others become dishes that her family can’t live without.

Clockwise from top left: Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder with Green Chiles and Cheddar Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread, Crispy Parmesan Cheese and Rosemary Cups with Spinach and Strawberry Salad, Potato-Crusted Quiche with Pancetta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach, Zucchini, Tomato and Gorgonzola Puff Pastry Tarts, Wild Mushroom and Cornbread Panzanella Salad, and Spicy Asian Slaw with Napa Cabbage, Carrots and Ginger Dressing.

 
 
 
Her father, on the other hand, has always been their “Sandwich King, and can make a mean batch of scrambled eggs.” He signed up for a series of cooking classes some years ago, and now they all benefit from his baking skills. And although Dara has a penchant for salty foods, her dessert creations make it apparent that she’s got some serious baking skills of her own.

Clockwise from top left: Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust, Blueberry Coconut Ice Cream (Gluten- and Dairy-Free), Summer Cherry and Crystallized Ginger Crumb Bars, Chocolate and Orange Benne Wafer Cookies, Chocolate Shortcakes with Raspberries, Ice Cream and Creme de Cassis Fudge Sauce, Coconut and Chocolate Fudge Bars, and Triple Chocolate Mint Cookies.

 
 
 
Do you know what else I love about Dara? I mean, aside from all the yummy food and gorgeous photography? I love that she posts potentially dangerous drink recipes like Kamikaze Cocktail (on the left) and Watermelon Mojito (on the right).

I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink right about now.

 
In the meantime, let’s turn the post over to Dara so she can answer some more of our questions. I bet you’re dying to hear about that uncooked meat fiasco. We’re all ears, Dara!

 
 
Q: What are your favorite ingredients or food pairings?
A: Salt, salt, and a little more salt. While I do enjoy sweet treats, I am a salt fiend. Soy sauce is, hands down, the favorite and most-used ingredient in my kitchen. Anyone have a recipe for a soy-sauce based cocktail? I would be indebted to you forever.

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: If it is fleece-wearing weather, then I develop insane cravings for two foods: my mum’s curry and my Pasta Wonder dish (named by one of my friends), which is spaghetti with Italian sausage and a creamy mascarpone sauce. When my fleece is replaced by a bikini (yeah, right), I fire up the barbeque almost every night and throw on whatever meat, seafood, or veggie that happens to be in the fridge.

 
Q: And if you had to eat something right now with only 3 minutes to get it ready? What would it be?
A: Crackers with a slice of cheese and a dot of ketchup, melted in the toaster oven. This is inspired by the open-faced cheese melts that I loved as a kid.

 
Q: It’s hard to imagine you having any kind of difficulty, but we’ll ask anyway. What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Despite marrying into an enthusiastic pie-making family, I have never actually made a pie myself. Sure, I have baked beautiful pies under the tutelage and close supervision of my mother-in-law and my husband’s cousin. I even have a beautiful Emile Henry pie dish in my cupboard, which looks at me scornfully (I swear) each time I push it aside to lift out another dish. However, making a pie crust without the moral and culinary support of others intimidates the ba-jeepers out of me. Perhaps this doesn’t sound like something to be concerned about, but my husband is a pie boy, through and through. I’m determined to get past this little hang-up of mine this summer.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: I am finally getting the hang of determining if meat is properly cooked by gently pressing on the top. For years, I would make about four or five incisions into the meat to test for doneness, which would send all of the meat’s juices running out of the steak. If the juices are on the plate, that means they are not in the meat. Not good.

 
Q: What food item do you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: Over the past year, I finally conquered my irrational fear of yeast. Every Friday night, I make a couple of batches of pizza dough and we top it with seasonal produce, seafood, or our favorite—a Thai chicken mixture. I found that a very hot oven (500 degrees F) and a pizza stone make all the difference for a homemade crust.

 
Q: Okay, we’ve waited long enough to hear about this uncooked meat business. Spill the beans. Tell us the story of your most memorable kitchen disaster.
A: When my husband and I had been dating for several months, I decided to pull out all the stops and roast a chicken for the first time. At that time, that was a pretty big undertaking for me. All that I had dared to cook for him up until that point was pasta with jarred tomato sauce and simple stir-fries. I scoured magazines and the internet for the best recipe and any chicken roasting tips I could find, hoping against hope that I could succeed in presenting a dish that wouldn’t poison us. All seemed to be moving along swimmingly at the beginning. It roasted to a beautiful golden brown, and the thermometer appeared to be telling me what I needed to know. After letting my beautiful creation rest, I brought it to the table for a dramatic display of carving. As I cut into the chicken, however, I realized that it was raw. Pink in places that you do not want to see any pink. I was devastated! I actually burst into tears. My husband insisted on taking photos of me holding the pathetic bird (from its best, uncarved side). The pictures show a young, red-eyed woman, tears streaming down her cheeks, holding a chicken that had seen better days. I give credit to my husband that he didn’t drop the camera and run.


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Dara, I could listen to you all day. You are funny, engaging, and most of all, you can cook some great grub for me after we talk. Okay, after you talk.

 
Dara’s recipe box here at Tasty Kitchen is bulging with all sorts of great recipes. I highly suggest browsing those delicious pages. There’s even more goodness waiting for you in her blog, Cookin’ Canuck, which is as fun to read as it is to ogle. And there’ll be lots of ogling, believe me.

 
Today is a bonus day for us, because we’ll all get to meet two lovely ladies: Adrianna and Caroline. They’re the ones behind those incredibly mouthwatering recipes you see above, and together, they make A Cozy Kitchen.

Adrianna and Caroline met in film school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. “It was there,” they say, “in the depths of a depressing cafeteria, that we realized we had a love for food and cooking.” Both currently based in Los Angeles, their blog A Cozy Kitchen is a vast collection of recipes that range from pure comfort, elegantly simple, creatively exotic, and just about everything in between.

Clockwise from top left: Blood Orange Granita with Whipped Cream, Maple Bacon Pancakes, Cream Cheese Pie Crust, Lemon Olive Oil Pound Cake, Fig Cinnamon Jam, and Buttermilk Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits.

 
 
 
They make a wonderful team because they seem to have just the right balance of shared tastes. When pressed for time, Adrianna’s snack of choice is bananas dipped in Nutella. Caroline’s secret (well, not so secret anymore) favorite food combo? Nutella on saltine crackers. They both need to have stock or broth always on hand. Caroline is Italian and can whip up a pasta dish in no time, and Adrianna? She loves to eat raw pasta. Which sort of counts as a pasta dish in no time too, right?

As much as they have in common, there are other things, too, that set them apart. For one, Caroline is (mostly) meat-free. Her favorite ingredients are typical Italian basics, like garlic, lemon, tomatoes, and cheese. Adrianna, on the other hand, loves salty and sweet, and confesses to eating those maple bacon pancakes above for dinner. I don’t blame her, but then again, neither would I pass up a chance to have any of their dinner recipes below.

Clockwise from top left: Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Gratin, Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree, Fried Green Tomatoes with Jalapeno Cheese Grits, and Shrimp Scampi.

 
 
 
If you’re in the mood for a snack, they’ve got that covered too. From corn dogs to simple sandwiches to an amazingly delicious twist to regular popcorn, I wouldn’t miss the Nutella if I could enjoy any one of these snacks instead.

Clockwise from top left: Homemade Corn Dogs, Smoked Gouda Croissant with Tarragon Mayonnaise, Chocolate Popcorn with Sea Salt, Curry Egg Salad Sandwich, and Mom’s Holiday Cheese Dip.

 
 
 
Their recipe box is packed with so many wonderful recipes, and that includes drinks. Strawberry basil spritz? Check. Sangria? Check. Watermelon Limeade? Check. Toasted marshmallow milkshake? Oh yeah.

Clockwise from top left: Strawberry Balsamic Basil Spritzer, Stand’s Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake, White Kiwi-Apple Sangria, and Watermelon Limeade.

 
 
 
Caroline says that she loves using cooking as a creative outlet, in the same way that painters or musicians use their art. “Except of course,” she adds, “I get to eat my results, and that’s really awesome.” For Adrianna, being able to “marry a few ingredients together and create a unique, shared experience with people you love” is what she enjoys most about cooking. I would like to go on record and say that, in my book, the collection of recipes below easily qualifies as high art, and that if they make these and share them with me, I will love them forever and ever.

And ever.

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, Coconut Chocolate Pudding, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches, Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse, and Vanilla Ricotta Doughnuts.

 
 
 
I’m going to stop right here because I need to go fan myself with something big. Like maybe a vat of that mousse.

In the meantime, I’ll let Adrianna and Caroline take over for a moment while I recover. You’re on, ladies!

 
 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
Adrianna: My dad is a great cook who’s like this mad scientist in the kitchen; he’s always experimenting with things like his own puff pastry and French bread. I think his yearning to learn new techniques and skills in the kitchen is pretty inspiring.
Caroline: Well, my mom is the best cook I know, and a lot of my favorite memories from childhood revolve around the amazing food that used to come out of her kitchen. As for celebrities, my absolute favorites are Giada De Laurentiis and Ina Garten. Both use very simple ingredients and techniques to produce sophisticated and extraordinary meals. They make good food accessible to anyone, which is exactly how it should be.

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
Adrianna: My go-to meal is pasta that’s cooked like risotto. I learned the technique from Mark Bittman a while back and it’s super quick and easy. I can make it in 20 minutes tops and throw any random things that I have in my fridge in the dish. It’s awesome!
Caroline: Pasta with homemade tomato sauce. I could probably eat this once a day and never get tired of it. I’m a McGyver of tomato sauce; give me a can of tomatoes and a few pantry ingredients and I can always come up with some tasty.

 
Q: Do you have a memorable kitchen disaster?
Adrianna: Making soufflés. I tried to make a coffee almond soufflé last year and failed miserably. Souffles have the ability to put me in tears, but I keep telling myself I’m going to master them one of these days.
Caroline: It isn’t actually my flop, but the most memorable one is when my fiancée tried to make mac and cheese and forgot to cook the pasta first. It’s still one of my favorite stories to tell. As for me, I’ve forgotten to check something in the oven and burned it black, or gotten halfway through a recipe before realizing that I skipped a step or am missing an ingredient, but there are almost too many incidents to pinpoint just one.

 
Q: Is there anything else that gives you trouble in the kitchen?
Adrianna: Making custards can be quite tricky. I feel like I have it down now, but there were a few times where I made milky scrambled eggs. Yuck!
Caroline: I’m probably the only vegetarian that can’t cook tofu. In fact, I have meat-eating friends who cook tofu better than I can. Not sure what my issue with it is, but nowadays I’ve given up trying and just avoid cooking it.

 
Q: Okay, enough of kitchen troubles. Let’s end on a high note! Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
Adrianna: I wish I always knew the secret to searing scallops or a piece of fish. The cardinal rule: never use frozen scallops or fish. If you do, make sure they’re super dry. That ensures you’ll get that beautiful, caramelized crust.
Caroline: I wish someone had told me that recipes are meant to be a general guidelines, not set-in-stone rules. It isn’t important that you sauté the garlic for precisely 60 seconds, and a recipe isn’t lost if it calls for a 15 oz. can and you only have a 14.5 oz. one. Once you become familiar with ingredients and with your own taste, it’s easy to improvise and adjust recipes as you cook.

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Thank you both for taking the time to answer our questions!

 
If you’re looking for inspiration or just need a reason to stare at all kinds of scrumptious food, head to A Cozy Kitchen to see all the incredible recipes that Adrianna and Caroline have posted. From breakfast fare to vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, appetizers, and decadent desserts, there’s sure to be something there for everyone. The photography is simply gorgeous too, so you might want to keep a fan handy. I’m still using mine.

 
The lovely face you see above belongs to Kelly @ EvilShenanigans. She assures us that none of her shenanigans are terribly evil, “unless you are watching your calorie intake, where it takes a decidedly evil turn!” Let’s all wave hello to Kelly, then showcase her recipe box and get ready for that turn.

Kelly Jaggers was born in Harlingen, Texas, and her family moved quite a bit within the state. “But I consider myself a Dallas girl,” she says, “because I have been here the longest, and I have stayed of my own free will.” Her blog, Evil Shenanigans, gets its name from the move “Super Troopers.” It started as a way for her to blog about her adventures in cooking school, and eventually turned into a blog about her cooking “shenanigans.”

Growing up, the biggest culinary adventure she had was Chinese take-out, which she despised. But then she tried Thai food, loved it, and decided that “being afraid of food is like being locked in a box with no light or sound; yes, you can live that way, but why would you?” So now she takes every opportunity to try new food. She’s even tackled Chinese take-out, with what looks like glorious results.

Clockwise from top left: Orange Chicken with Fried Rice, Porchetta, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Triple Citrus Skirt Steak, and Honey Lime Grilled Chicken Salad.

 
 
 
Cooking is Kelly’s escape and her joy. When she has a bad day, she escapes to the kitchen. “Often, when I am working out a problem or struggling with a decision,” Kelly says, “I can clear my mind while cooking and I find the answer more easily.” She comes from a long line of women who express love and affection through food: her grandmother who always had a box of warm apple fritters and a pot roast waiting every time they visited, and her great aunt who always greeted them with freshly fried chicken and homemade pecan pie. She loves making something for other people to enjoy, and says that you will know if she likes you based on the size of the meal she prepares for you.

I’d like to pipe in and say that even if she served me a meal of small portions of these sides, I’d consider myself liked. I’d consider myself very well-liked indeed.

Clockwise from left: Cream of Chicken Soup, Pancetta Risotto Cakes, Crab Cake Dip, and Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms.

 
 
 
Kelly went to culinary school in 2007, and says that it has taught her that failure is absolutely part of the process, and that you often learn more from abject failure than you do from success. It has also taught her not to dwell on failure, and that if she doesn’t put it behind her, she will never grow. But don’t think of her as a food snob because of her culinary school background. She just as easily admits to loving hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. “I grew up with it and it is one of those dishes I still eat when I need some comfort.” When asked about her favorite food pairings, she confesses: “Really, bacon and anything. I may have a problem with bacon.”

From left to right: Cheddar Bacon Muffins and Jalapeno, Bacon and Cheddar Cornbread.

 
 
 
Her passion for food leans a tiny bit toward dessert or bread, which is likely why the one ingredient she always must have on hand is butter. She loves her whisks and has them in all shapes and sizes, and she can’t get along without them. Some of her other favorite food pairings, like bananas with caramel, are wonderfully featured in her dessert recipes.

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting, Banana and Chocolate Mascarpone Crepes, Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream, Southern Banana Pudding, Apple Carrot Maple Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, and Raspberry and Chocolate Ganache Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream.

 
There’s so much more to this proud Texan who used to sing opera and bellydances for fun. So let’s get her into the hot seat (or … just seat) and get to know her even more!

 
 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: My mom is my number one food inspiration. She taught me to cook, in an effort to make sure I did not starve when I moved out, and taught me a love of cooking and sharing food. She also taught me to make a perfect pie crust, for which my husband will be forever grateful! My favorite television food celebrity is, hands down, Nigella Lawson. Aside from being beautiful, she is well-spoken, intelligent, and she makes food I want to eat. A few years back I got to meet Nigella at a book signing and she was so sweet and terribly humble. I aspire to be as glamorous as she is in the kitchen, but I often fail. It is hard to be glamorous with flour on your nose!

 
Q: If you had to eat something right now and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: Bean and cheese nachos. I always have cheddar cheese in the fridge, I always have a can of beans in the pantry, and I am never without pickled jalapenos. Living in Texas, I think it is mandatory, actually, to have all those ingredients in hand at all times! This dish has saved me on a number of occasions from starvation. It also makes a good late-night or after school snack. Believe me, when you get out of school at 10pm after working a full day, you do not want a snack that takes longer than about three minutes to be ready.

 
Q: Do you have a most memorable kitchen disaster?
A: Once I created a recipe for a Mascarpone Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake. The batter was lovely, so I was very excited to try the finished cake. After it had cooled, I tried to slice it and the cake collapsed into what I can only describe as dust. Literally, it just turned into a pile of crumbs. I have never had anything like that happen before or since. I was quite crushed!

 
Q: What else, besides mascarpone bundt cakes, gives you trouble in the kitchen?
A: Making homemade mayonnaise. It almost always breaks. I have tried countless recipes/methods and I inevitably mess it up so I have given up on homemade mayo. It is ok, however, because I have discovered Duke’s Mayonnaise which is better than anything I have made. It makes the shame easier to tolerate, and it tastes damn good!

 
Q: What food item do you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: Salad dressing. About five years ago I decided that I needed to stop buying salad dressings because they would just languish in my refrigerator after one or two uses. So wasteful of me! Making my own came out of a desire to save money, but it has also improved my relationship with salads for the better. A yummy dressing means more salad consumption in my house. My favorite dressing to make at home is honey mustard. Three ingredients, give it a little whisk, and you have an all-purpose dressing/dipping sauce. It is fantastic on salad, but also good for dunking homemade chicken nuggets.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Brown meat BEFORE you put it in the slow-cooker. It seems like such a no-brainer, but I never knew. Browning the meat means that your roast will: a) taste better and; b) look better. For a long time I served anemic-looking, flat-tasting, slow-cooker pot roast. Not anymore!

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Thanks, Kelly!

 
Kelly’s recipe box here is full of all sorts of wonderful food, and there’s even more to enjoy in her blog, Evil Shenanigans. As you take unhurried, longing glances at her baking section, remember that she says one day, she’ll open her own bakery and that we’re all invited. Then maybe send her your RSVP now, to grab a slot in that guest list.

 
This week, our featured member is a self-taught home cook who got her love of food from the southern women she grew up with, then fed it with endless hours of Food Network while her husband was deployed in Afghanistan. She’s funny, creative, passionate about the quality of food that she makes, and incredibly talented. Generous too, for sharing the recipes in her recipe box with us. Let’s all say hello to Natalie!

Natalie (Perrys’ Plate) is a full-time wife and mother. She met her husband in Russia (she says it’s a long story, but maybe we can prod her to spill some of it) and they’ve been married six years. They have two little girls, and live in California while her husband finishes chiropractic school.

Natalie confesses that she spends more time thinking about food than she likes to admit. All that thinking must be part of the reason she can get so creative with her dishes. A few weeks ago, she ran a Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto week in her blog, Perrys’ Plate, after realizing that her husband didn’t like sun-dried tomatoes and being stuck with a large warehouse-club-sized jar of it. So she made pesto, then proceeded to create six different dishes using the pesto. It made me hungry for sun-dried tomatoes all week.

Left column, top to bottom: Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Swiss Chard and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet Mac. Center column, top to bottom: Spinach, Bacon and Feta Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, Sun-Dried Tomato Tuna Melts, and Balsamic Grilled Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette. Right column, top to bottom: Creamy Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Fettucine and Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus.

 
 
 
Natalie graduated from BYU with a degree in Travel and Tourism and a minor in German. “I should really get the award for the most useless diploma for a stay-at-home mom,” she says. She loves spending time in the kitchen because it allows her “to taste and create a lot of different things in a relatively short amount of time, compared to, say, furniture restoration or needlework.” As a bonus, it makes her feel like a multitasking superstar to be able to get creative in the kitchen while also feeding her family.

Clockwise from left: Coconut Curry with Cauliflower, Carrots, and Chickpeas, Steak-Inspired Slow-Cooked Beef, Spicy Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash over Creamy Polenta, and Grilled Chicken Salad with Chipotle-Lime Vinaigrette.

 
 
 
When it comes to specific ingredients or favorite foods, Natalie loves bacon, and is almost convinced that it can find a home in any recipe. She especially likes it with sweet potatoes or butternut squash (her Bacon, Kale, and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritoslook absolutely scrumptious). She can’t do without fresh onions and garlic, saying “I feel blind/baked/armless without them.” She also loves the brightness that vinegars and fresh citrus bring to a recipe.

Clockwise from left: Natalie’s prize-winning Coco-Kiwi Mango Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps, Nutty Lemon-Herb Brown Rice with Avocado, Mayo-Free Egg Salad, and Garlic Bread with Bacon, Greens and Provolone.

 
 
 
As for professional chefs or food celebrities, she likes Tyler Florence. “He emphasizes the importance of quality ingredients and goes the extra mile to create the best flavors in a dish.” Of course, having grown up with those food-loving southern women, she is also greatly inspired by her Grandma Inez, who taught her not to be afraid of bacon grease. Grandma Inez also taught her some pretty wicked looking desserts, including an “Impossible Pie” that creates its own crust. One thing Natalie is adamant about: “When I want a dessert, I want a dessert.”

Of course, some of her breafkast items look good enough to be eaten as dessert, too.

Clockwise from left: Grandma Inez’s Impossible Pie, Grandma Inez’s Pineapple Pie, Toasted Coconut Cheesecake Cups, Spiced Carrot Waffles, and Blueberry-Lavender Ricotta Pancakes.

 
 
 
Those are just a few of the goodies in Natalie’s recipe box. But enough of me talking. Let’s get to my favorite part of these posts, when we ask all kinds of questions and hear directly from our featured member. The floor’s yours, Natalie!

 
 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: I make a lot of sweet potato fries because my kids inhale them, and I often marinate and grill chicken to cut up and throw on some salad greens. (Luckily my husband is a salad man. When we go to a restaurant, he’s more likely to order a salad and I’m the one who gets a burger and fries. We frequently have to switch our plates around after the server leaves.)

 
Q: What is the strangest food or food combo that you enjoy?
A: Oh my. When I was living at home we’d mix a little ranch dressing into some cottage cheese and dip Baked Lays into it. It’s a lot more amazing than it sounds.

 
Q: Do you have a memorable kitchen disaster?
A: During the first semester at college, my roommate and I wanted to roast a turkey for Thanksgiving. We got to the point where we needed to put the turkey in the oven bag, so one of us held the bag (just open over the floor, like a trick-or-treat bag … do you see where this is going?), and the other “dropped” the turkey in. The bottom of the bag gave out and the turkey ended up sliding across the kitchen floor. We laughed, rinsed the turkey off and grabbed another bag. (Thank goodness those come in pairs.) No harm done.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: It has to be melting and dipping things in chocolate. I’ve had so much chocolate seize up and rarely do the things I dip end up looking smooth and shiny. It’s a huge mess.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: Hands down, my Lamson-Sharp santuko knife. It makes cooking so much more enjoyable when you can slice through produce effortlessly. I am quite clumsy, though, and have almost cut clear through the tip of my thumb, halfway into my thumbnail. Twice. In the exact same place. (The second cut is healing as we speak.) I make a conscious effort to tuck my thumb in now when I’m chopping.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Using open ramekins for salt. I can’t believe how much of a time saver it is. I hated digging out my salt box every time I needed more than a shake. I also like feeling the salt in my fingers and having more control over how much goes in.

 
Q: What food item do you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: I make a big batch of roasted garlic pasta sauce and freeze it into quart-sized Ziploc bags. I use it in pasta dishes as well as on pizzas. It’s great. I also make my own taco seasoning. I should really post that on Tasty Kitchen. No one has put cocoa in theirs yet, have they?

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Thank you for answering our questions, Natalie! And I know I won’t be the only one waiting for that taco seasoning recipe.

 
To see all of Natalie’s recipes here at Tasty Kitchen, check out her ever-growing recipe box. Then head to her blog Perrys’ Plate for even more of her dishes, wit, and mouthwatering food photography. Natalie says she loves to cook something new every day, and if you’re the same way, your family will love you for making her dishes some of the new additions to your repertoire.